ABSTRACT
The Republic of Korea, commonly known as South Korea, is a presidential republic with just over 50 million citizens, about 81 percent of whom reside in urban areas (UNICEF 2000). Population density is very high, with a total area of 38,023 square miles (slightly larger than the state of Indiana), but the annual population growth rate is only 0.23 percent (U.S. Department of State 2000), showing one of the lowest birthrates worldwide (CIA 2012). The gross domestic product (purchasing power parity) of South Korea is $1.554 trillion (2011 est.), making it 13th in the world (CIA 2012).
